Is anyone planning on doing a traffic study or are we all just going to be pleasantly surprised when that bridge collapses?

Sad to say that with development in Locust Pt and E Harbor, the center of gravity is moving away from Fed Hill. Why isn’t that neighborhood doing more to attract upscale grocers/retailers?

There isn’t enough vacant industrial land in Federal Hill to come in and make these large developments happen. the national chains want critical mass and large sites can create that mass. Federal Hill will remain stable, but mostly as residential. I am willing to bet that the industrial properties of sharp leadenhall will start changing to commercial as there are large lots there and the SL Urban Renewal plan calls for mixed use.

Wow a Starbucks in Locust Point - I hope this news is true. This would be an interesting development since the Coca Moka Cafe adjacent to the project serves Seattle’s Best - which is owned by Starbucks. A Starbucks in that location might force Coca Moka to shut down. The place doesn’t seem to be doing great anyway.

They shouldn’t have much trouble finding people to rent those new apartments if they really do end up getting these stores.

I wouldn’t get my hopes up for a Starbucks and fancy grocer quite yet, developers have a habit of promising big things and not delivering, as in the case of the phantom Home Depot next to the soon-to-be-closed Wal-Mart. Developers like to build high-priced residences where they can get their money and move on, not manage retail space.

Although a grocery store that would give SFW a run for its money would be nice. As much as I like a good deal I am not thrilled when I am sandwiched between a hoodlum and a foodstamp queen at the check-out.

Yeah it’s possible, I could see Sapperstein floating Starbucks out there to stir up excitement about the project. But if Starbucks and Panera want to be a part of the project - as he said they did - he has no reason to not want them included. A Starbucks at your doorstep sure would help fill those apartments. Sapperstein seemed to think (or want us to think) that the Panera was a sure thing and Starbucks was a good possibility.

In that case I plan to open a Starbucks in my basement. House goes on the market next year.

If you get the Starbucks open in your basement - I’ll move in. Hook up an espresso i.v.

God! What is with all this Starbucks worship. Their coffee is horrible — milquetoast espresso, and if not that, then burnt. It’s unfortunate that we have to trade creativity and relevance to the urban landscape for development. I would probably end up driving to McHenry row, the way I currently drive to SFW, for necessary errands, but I certainly would not feel any connection to it the way I do Cross Street Market. I might as well be going to the suburbs.

I’m from south florida and have great experience with fresh market and can only hope this is the market they’ll bring in, great produce, european bakery, wine shop, butcher, cheese shop, candy shop, gourmet grocery, and its green, too… woohoo! I can only hope its true. Check out the new one (the first in MD) up at greenspring and you’ll get my enthusiasm…

I’m not sure why some people are addicted to Starbucks - I don’t drink coffee - but whatever they are doing it has obviously been working for the last couple decades. And there is no denying the correlation between a Starbucks opening and the gentrification of a neighborhood - whether you consider that good or bad.